The British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) has given its support to the British Medical Association's (BMA) call for the government to increase its efforts in tackling alcohol abuse in the UK .
Over 60 medical conditions have been linked to excessive drinking, including several cancers, heart disease, hepatitis and diabetes .
High intake levels of alcohol can also increase the risk of cancer of the mouth, larynx and oesophagus.
BDHF chief executive, Dr Nigel Carter, said: "We fully support the British Medical Association's call for greater control of the misuse of alcohol ."
"Alcohol is a major risk factor for mouth cancer and can cause other oral health problems, while also having a detrimental effect on the rest of the body."
Dr Carter said the BDHF is currently working on making the general public "aware of the link between oral health and overall body health" .
He explained: "Poor gum health is known to cause a range of conditions such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes and low birth weight babies. At the same time a number of general health conditions are thought to contribute to poor gum health ."
"With this in mind, it is clear that tackling alcohol misuse must become a real health priority in this country."
A recently published report by the BMA on tackling alcohol misuse in the UK highlights that Britain has one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption in Europe, with a large proportion of men and women regularly exceeding the recommended guidelines.
The report recommends introducing higher taxes on alcoholic drinks, putting a stop to irresponsible drinks promotions and reducing the legal driving limit from 80mg/100ml down to 50mg/100ml.
In addition, labels on all alcohol products displaying details of units of alcohol and a warning about the dangers of excessive consumption need to be introduced, according to the BMA.
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